Posts Tagged ‘brain’

There have been thousands of ideas about how to stop migraine headaches – or at least make them bearable. Some of these ideas work and some, of course, don’t work. Sometimes, even the most outlandish of the ideas has the ability to help relieve the suffering from migraines.

There is a new tool being tested that seems to have the ability to actually stop a migraine headache before it completely starts. Many migraine headaches start with what is called “aura” which is when a person feels light headed, sees spots or other visual disturbances. This is what happened to Dr. Robert Fischell, who is also the inventor of the first implantable insulin pump, the rechargeable pacemaker and various coronary stents.

Dr. Fischell experienced an aura one day out of the blue. He had never had anything like this happen before, and he says that it scared him to death because he thought he was about to have a stroke. The interesting thing is that after the aura, nothing happened – there was no migraine that followed. Nonetheless, it got Dr. Fischell thinking about what causes aura and migraines, and what can be done to stop the aura so that the migraine never materializes.

After extensive research, Dr. Fischell created a box that has two handles – one on each side. When an aura happens it is because the brain is experiencing a neurological disturbance where the nerves misfire. The occipital cortex, an area at the back of the head, is usually the area involved in the misfiring. The box that Dr. Fischell created is placed at the back of the head, where the auras begin, and a trigger on the device emits two magnetic pulses 15 seconds apart. This silences the nerve activity and shuts down the aura, thus stopping the migraine before it actually starts.

The device – called Neuralieve Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) – has been tested on enough people that Dr. Fischell has applied to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to be able to begin selling it as soon as early next year.

This is a huge advance toward the treatment of migraines. Since it is non-invasive and involves no medication, there are definite plusses. Of course, not all treatments work for all people. The doctor is confident enough about the device that he is considering having people use it and if it doesn’t work for them, send it back and he will refund their money minus a small refurbishing fee.

Hopefully he will get FDA approval and people will be able to try the device and see if there truly is a new and different way to eliminate migraines.

Migraine sufferers get it. Some doctors and health professionals get it, too. And, there are some employers who get it. They understand that migraine headaches are not just an excuse not to go to work, take care of business, clean the house, or do anything and everything else a migraine sufferer has to do.

Those of us who have suffered from migraines understand the meaning of pain. In fact, some women have reported that their migraine headaches are worse than the pain of childbirth. I can attest to the fact that this is true. Natural childbirth without medication was uncomfortable but not unbearable. Migraine headaches are overwhelming – even with pain medication and trips to the emergency room.

There is hope for migraine sufferers, and some of it is located within the pages of a newly released book entitled, “The Migraine Brain” by Carolyn Bernstein, M.D. Dr. Bernstein is a top notch neurologist who has been on the Harvard Medical School faculty for seventeen years. Her partner in research and writing, Elaine McArdle has helped compile the information included in “The Migraine Brain.”

Dr. Bernstein was studying to become a neurologist when she started experiencing migraines. During the course of her migraine episodes, she began to turn her attention to causes and remedies and focus on these aspects while she was earning her doctorate. Her findings from those days through her years as part of the Harvard Medical School faculty form the basis for the book.

In addition to writing the book, Dr. Bernstein has established the Women’s Headache Center at the Cambridge Health Alliance in Cambridge, Massachusetts. This is one of the first clinics of this type in the world. It was designed by women who suffer from migraines and offers treatment through two staff neurologists, a psychiatrist, support groups and other services.

Since the first day that the clinic opened, Dr. Bernstein has been receiving calls and visits from people throughout the country and around the world in search of relief.

“The Migraine Brain” is a must for people who suffer from migraines – especially women. The information presented in the book has been tried and tested by Dr. Bernstein over nearly two decades. It brings accurate information and hope to individuals who suffer from migraines and to the professionals who treat them.